As far as industries go, the TV advertising business is one of the most powerful examples of the notion that culture really does eat strategy. I guess it's because TV is such a powerful force within our pop culture. People simply care about it more than the average business, and so naturally seek to preserve its status quo, even when presented by new strategic visions. Over the decades I've covered the business, I've watched how the power of TV's culture ultimately forced even the most potentially game-changing developments to conform to it.

Back in October of 1997, the television business was abuzz with a quote about then-NBC Entertainment President Warren Littlefield, attributed to his predecessor, Brandon Tartikoff. The quote appeared in a Nikki Finke-authored piece for Esquire. "You have to understand something about Warren," Tartikoff said, according to Finke. "He's a cockroach. He's going to survive nuclear war."

Sometimes, you just want to pretend the world of economic turmoil and terrorism doesn't exist, that health care is affordable and the middle class still exists. For many, that means MeTV and Antenna TV.

Sex in a box -- as a TV show? Okay, first question: How big is the box? Can you get everything necessary you need into that box? I don't know all the details of the new WE TV reality show called "Sex Box," with a concept imported from the U.K. Whatever is included, blankets, pillows and couches should be optional.

Seems like a broken record now: MTV's "Video Music Awards" are nearly upon us (August 24) and everyone wonders how the big renegade TV music awards show will be outrageous this time. What does that mean for your brand?

In the recent past, editors might pick select point of views from readers and place them in their letters to the editor section. Now with digital media, we know it's open season: the wild West. Shoot and ask questions later. Everyone can now take a whack at the media, in the comments section. Entertaining? Sometimes. Instructive? Hmm...

A TV consumer marketing strategy that blurs some lines? Might be a plan to get consumers to do what the big TV content and distribution companies want. After years of consumers controlling DVR time-shifting, Comcast wants to see if they can be lured to more VOD services, something it has been pushing for several years.